2018 Winners

Celebrating Enterprise 2018 was held at the House of Lords on Thursday 3rd May, bringing together educators, entrepreneurs and other key figures from the UK’s small business, enterprise and skills sector.

The Awards event celebrated and recognised the very best in enterprise learning and skills, with eight award categories. We are proud to announce that the Celebrating Enterprise 2018 award winners are:

Enterprising Learning Provider of the Year
London South Bank Business Solutions Centre

The Business Solutions Centre is a free drop in service for small businesses led by a group of trained Student Advisers from London South Bank University’s School of Business. The trained Student Adviser’s provide advice to businesses and entrepreneurs on subjects such as business planning, marketing and social media, small business finance and accounting and company formation. The students receive train-ing to develop their entrepreneurial mindset, team working, communication, business writing and consultancy skills.

The Business Solutions Centre is an example of how the whole of the University is investing in enterprise and entrepreneurial development helping all students to develop transferrable skills along with external recognition from IOEE.

Enterprise Educator of the Year
Sheralee Fieldman

Sheralee is employed as an Enterprise and Business Start-up tutor based at HMP Wealstun. Her experience as both an academic and running her own business has proved to be a valuable and powerful resource when delivering a whole range of enterprise education and qualifications.

She strives to get the best out of her learners encouraging them to realise that they are already enterprising and helping them to direct their skills into more positive outcomes. She spends her own time researching on behalf of learners given the restrictions imposed by being in custody, encouraging offenders to turn their dreams into reality post release.

Enterprising Learner of the Year
Haydar Ali-Ismail

Ali was diagnosed with a sight condition called retinitis pigmentosa from birth and by the time he was nine his condition severely affected his vision eventually leaving him blind. Learning about his environment without sight was a difficult challenge for him. After securing a place at Manchester Metropolitan University he wanted to do more as a role model for the visually impaired community. In his final year of his degree he saw how entrepreneurship could be a vehicle to support the visually impaired community he wanted to help.

A significant enabler for Ali was his walking stick, however mislaying the stick led to a high degree of anxiety and loss of confidence. Ali with fellow students developed a cane finder device linked to a smart phone that is of particular interest in the visu-ally impaired community. Ali is no ordinary student, his dedication and thirst for knowledge is second to none. He has undertaken a range of extra curricula activities to widen his knowledge and continues to learn as he completes his final year of his degree programme.

IOEE Member of the Year
David Morgan

David became involved in enterprise and entrepreneurship education 10 years ago after working in the private sector, spending the first three years working as a Business and Enterprise Tutor for Macclesfield College and the University of Derby. David is now the Novus Enterprise Lead where he champions enterprise within prison establishments working closely with SFEDI and the IOEE in creating curriculum and supporting the development of a range of enterprise learning resources. David continues to promote enterprise learning within the justice sector and is currently setting up an Enterprise Forum for Novus which will share enterprise resources and best practice across the whole company.

Enterprise Support Champion
Shiela McFee

Sheila is employed by Yorkshire Housing which is one of Yorkshire’s largest social housing providers. Sheila has been with the employment and enterprise team since day one as an enterprise coach for the West and North and is a SFEDI accredited business adviser and trainer. She not only has demonstrated that she has the knowledge and skills to support clients to plan, review and implement their business dreams but she also has the heart, drive and passion to go alongside her knowledge and skills. Sheila’s creativity and drive to ensure customers can be the best they can be has helped them to both start and develop their new businesses through building their confidence and supporting them throughout their business life.

Intrapreneur of the Year
Lisa Soderman

Lisa Soderman is the Business Development Manager for the Dolphin Centre, a Darlington-based leisure centre which is part of Darlington Borough Council. She has led a pioneering approach to intrapreneurship whilst securing the status of an IOEE Enterprise Academy. With over 20 years of experience working in the Dolphin Centre, Lisa realised the importance of being able to adapt and change within both the industry and the leisure market in order to succeed by encouraging all staff to become intrapreneurs, like herself. Over the past 10 years Lisa has worked tirelessly to create an outstanding work environment and positive culture shift, where all staff have an opportunity to shine and feel valued as part of their One Outstanding Team.

Special Recognition Award
The Dolphin Centre Academy

The Dolphin Centre is a Darlington based leisure centre and part of the local authority. Recent years have seen many changes within this landscape with many organisations closing doors or making redundancies, however the Dolphin Centre has embraced commercialisation, maintaining its positivity to ensure it not only survived but is absolutely thriving.

The Dolphin Centre has undertaken a pioneering approach to develop and nurture entrepreneurial mindsets right across the organisation. They have created a culture whereby staff are fully supported and actively encouraged to behave entrepreneurially – responsibility, passion and drive are key characteristics that are displayed in all employees. Part of the Dolphins Centre journey has been it’s successful approval as an IOEE Enterprise Academy, the status has been used to create structure, recognition and support to ensure they could develop into the entrepreneurial organisation they wished to become. A range of qualifications have been created specifically for the Dolphin Centre Academy, ensuring all staff develop the intrapreneurial skills necessary to help the organisation to survive and thrive within an extremely challenging environment.

Highly Commended
Claire Baird

Claire has worked passionately in Enterprise Education for Manchester Metropolitan University for 12 years, being a core member of the Centre for Enterprise and leading international, regional and national projects supporting start ups. Claire has and continues to demonstrate an enterprising approach to developing and delivering enterprise and entrepreneurial learning and skills.

Claire has tirelessly worked with colleagues and other faculties to raise awareness of enterprise through the design and delivery of workshops. Claire actively seeks opportunities to raise awareness of enterprise and to support enterprising individuals who may not have access to support. Colleagues describe her as fearlessly supportive of the students, passionate, empathetic, professional and exceptionally well networked across and outside the University’s boundaries.